Study Exam Mart: Fastest Reselling App
- Ak Giri
- Jul 18, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 15
The problem:
In India, students and professionals relocating to top-tier cities for exams or jobs struggle to manage and resell used items like books and furniture. Newcomers find it difficult to locate affordable used items & rely on outdated reselling apps. A centralised platform is needed to streamline the buying & selling of used items.
Project overview:
Study Exam Mart is a fast, safe, and intuitive app designed for students and professionals. It simplifies buying and selling used products.
Unique Offerings:
Quick Sales: Sell items in less than 5 minutes.
Magic AI: Automates manual tasks.
Offline Shopping: Meet up with sellers in person.
Verified Listings: Authentic products and verified sellers.
Security: Secure meetups and payments.
Figma file:
Click to go to the following sections:
Why Study Exam Mart?
My role:
Not just a UI/UX designer, but a Product owner who took the entire responsibility of end-to-end design of a reselling app.
Target audience:
Students & Professionals(Age group of 22-30 years) staying in PG/Flats who want to buy, sell & donate used items.
Responsibilities:
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility and iterating on designs. User research, Design Thinking, Product Design, Usability Testing.
Design thinking process:
I applied the principles of design thinking to find solutions for this problem.
Empathize User research
Define Competitor analysis, Value proposition, Affinity map, User persona, User experience map, Empathy map
Ideate User flows, Information architecture
Design Lo-fi wireframe, Hi-fi wireframe, Style guide, Mood board, Visual design
Test Usability testing, Prototype
1. Empathise:
User Research:
Interviews were conducted with 8 individuals, including both students and professionals(age group of 22-3o years), who are residing in PGs and flats. Some of the interviewees have been living in the city for an extended period, while others have recently relocated.
The questions:
1. What's your budget for buying second-hand items?
2. How many items do you plan to buy for your studies and daily needs?
3. What problems or frustrations have you faced when buying/selling from existing reselling platforms?
4. Do you usually take all your items with you when you leave a PG or hostel, or do you leave some items behind?
User statements:
Buying experience:
Participant #7: I am staying in PG for 4 months, but due to an emergency at home, I have to leave the PG & return home. So, I'm left with so many small items like an Extension cord, a Cooker, Cooking utensils, an Assemble PC & Bluetooth speakers.
Selling experience: Participant #1: Online, it is very difficult to get an idea of the condition of the Book. They should include a Video of the Book, Context/Chapters.
Participant #4: Meeting an unknown person is a little bit scary for a girl. So I took my male friends with me to get that book from the seller.
2. Define:
I've used insights from the Empathy phase to define the problem, ensuring we focus on the right issues for ideation and solution development. Competitor analysis:
I've used insights from the Empathy phase to define the problem, ensuring we focus on the right issues for ideation and solution development.
They have a complicated, outdated and inaccessible interface, making it difficult to navigate and list the items for sale.
No proper quality checks are followed on these platforms.
Fraud and scams make users wary of buying or selling.
Sellers often struggle to create effective listings due to a lack of guidance or tools.
Resolving disputes between buyers and sellers is complicated and slow.
Value proposition: For better clarity & direction, I created a value proposition to clearly outline the benefits and values my solution will provide to users.
For Students and professionals relocating to top-tier cities, living in PG, hostels & flats for short term (3 months -1 year)
Dissatisfied with the current reselling platforms that have long selling processes, frequent scams, low-quality items, and outdated interfaces. There is no platform offering a complete end-to-end solution for buying and selling second-hand products.
due to managing(buying & selling) essential items like Books, Furniture, Electronics & Appliances.
“Study Exam Mart” offers a fast, safe, and intuitive app designed for students and professionals. It simplifies buying & selling used products.
that provides Unique Offerings:
Quick Sales: Sell products in less than 5 minutes.
Magic AI: Automates manual tasks.
Offline Experience: Meet sellers in person.
Verified Listings: Authentic products and verified sellers.
Safety First: Secure meetups and payments.
Convenient Services: Free pickup and delivery.
Affinity map:
After conducting interviews, I created an Affinity Map to analyze their buying and selling experiences on reselling platforms. Their stories revealed common pain points: the need for better transparency, safer transactions, and easier ways to deal with used items during unexpected moves.
User Persona:
To better understand my target audience, I created two user personas: a seller and a buyer. By diving into their stories, I can design solutions that truly meet their needs, preferences, and behaviors.
User persona of Seller:
User persona of Buyer:
User experience map:
Created user experience maps for both a seller and a buyer. This approach allowed me to visualize their journeys, capturing their interactions and emotions throughout the process. I identified key pain points, such as the seller's stress from unclear listing guidelines and the buyer's frustration with vague product descriptions.
Empathy map:
I created two empathy maps, one for a buyer and one for a seller, to gain a deeper understanding of their feelings, thoughts, and needs. This approach helped me see their perspectives more clearly, identify their pain points
3. Ideate:
User flow:
I created user flows for the primary tasks to visualize the user's journey.
Information architecture:
I create information architecture to organize content logically, ensure intuitive navigation, and enhance the overall user experience by making it easier for users to find what they need.
4. Design:
Lo-fi wireframes(Paper sketches): View Figma File
Made paper sketches because they allow quick changes, spark creativity, clearly show ideas, and get early user feedback to ensure the design meets user needs before investing too much.
Hi-fi wireframes(Digital wireframe):
Created high-fidelity wireframes to show a realistic final product, identify usability issues, ensure consistency, and improve communication. They also clarify interactions and estimate development accurately.
Converting the Lo-fi into Hi-fi wireframe of "Listing the product":
It will guide you through the simple 3-step process for listing your product. This introduction will help you understand how the entire selling process works. I've designed an interface with clear headings, step-by-step tooltips, and helpful illustrations to make the experience seamless.
Select Category(Step 1):
Choose the category of the product you want to sell (e.g., books, furniture, electronics, or appliances).
Describe product(Step 2):
In this step, you will provide details about your product by adding photos/videos, a title, features, and a description.
Set the price(Step 3):
In the final step, you will set the price for your product and choose between two selling methods: Fixed Price or Auction.
Fixed Price: Set a specific price for your product. Buyers can purchase it immediately by paying the set amount.
Auction: Allow buyers to place bids on your product. Once you're satisfied with the highest bid, you can sell the product to that bidder.
Converting the Lo-fi into Hi-fi wireframe of "Product screen":
I've included several crucial elements on the product screen to enhance the user experience:
Features: Highlight all the important features with visual icons for easy reference.
About the Seller: To build trust, only verified sellers and authentic products are listed. Essential seller details are presented, including a clear image, verification tags, languages spoken, location, and a brief introduction.
Additional Elements: The product screen also includes Help, Related Products, and Report Listing options for added convenience and support.
Mood board:
I created a mood board in the design thinking process to visually gather and present inspiration, set the tone and direction for the project, and ensure alignment on the aesthetic vision among stakeholders.
Usability testing:
Conducting usability testing after the first high-fidelity wireframe helps me validate design decisions early, fix issues quickly, and iteratively refine the product based on user feedback.
I have conducted usability testing of primary tasks of my product, i.e. Listing the product, Communicating between the buyer & seller, and overall experience of interaction with specific screens like Product, Home etc.
Insights after usability testing:
Listing the product: Although the process is easy to follow, I observed that it requires significant manual effort, consuming users' time. Currently, the average time to complete the listing process is 3-5 minutes. Solution: Introduce AI technology to automate manual tasks and significantly reduce the average listing time.
Communication between the buyer & seller: Even though the app has calling and messaging features, the issue of recognizing the quality and condition of the product remains unresolved. Solution: Implement a "meetup" feature, allowing users to meet sellers in person to inspect the products and experience offline buying, helping them make informed decisions.
3. Safety & Security:
Meeting in person introduces the risk of users sharing personal information, negotiating prices, and potentially bypassing the secure app payment gateway, which can lead to fraud, scams, identity theft, and hacking. Solution: Educate users on the dangers of bypassing our payment gateway and highlight the safety, protection, and additional benefits of using our secure in-app payment system.
When users meet, they are mostly strangers, raising concerns about privacy and safety. Solution: Implement a safety and security feature to protect users during meetups, ensuring their privacy and well-being.
Not every product is suitable for meetups. Solution: Limit the meetup feature to small, easily portable products.
Visual design(Final Product):
Design System: I chose Uber’s Base design system because it felt simple, straightforward, and thoughtful. After studying their full guidelines, I was really inspired by how they balance usability and accessibility, and I wanted to bring that same clarity and consistency into my own product.
Presenting the polished and final UI screens that embody the essence of my design vision. Each screen demonstrates our commitment to a user-centric approach, featuring intuitive navigation, consistent visual elements, and a seamless user experience.
Onboarding:
When a new user opens the app, they are welcomed and can choose to sign up (create an account) or continue as a guest. To provide personalized recommendations while minimizing cognitive load, users are asked three simple questions, ensuring a smooth and delightful onboarding experience.
Home:
The home screen is designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind, featuring essential elements for a seamless user experience. New users can easily navigate to category products, search for items using voice or visual search, and learn about selling used products and unique features through the featured banner.
Product:
To build trust, key elements are strategically placed throughout the app, including product condition, verified seller badges, product features, benefits of using "Secure Pay," and detailed seller information.
Building Trust and Protecting Users:
Key sections are strategically placed to ensure user trust and protection:
Secure Pay: We encourage users to use our inbuilt secure payment gateway to avoid fraud, identity theft, and other scams, while also enjoying additional benefits.
Meet the Seller: To safeguard users, we promote using the secure payment gateway for all transactions, providing an extra layer of security and peace of mind.
Listing the Product:
Based on insights from usability studies, I've introduced "Magic AI" to automate manual tasks during the listing process, such as suggesting product titles, writing descriptions, and verifying product authenticity. Each step includes tooltips, illustrations, and resources to ensure a smooth and delightful user experience.
Magic AI:
Magic AI is an artificial intelligence technology that automates manual tasks through critical thinking. It provides solutions based on precise research and analysis, saving you time and delivering a faster, more efficient experience.
Safety & Security:
Our app ensures user safety and security during meetups by introducing key features right after a meetup is scheduled. These include:
Live Location Sharing: Share your live location with trusted contacts.
Emergency Assistance: Instantly connect with the police.
Voice & Call Recording: Record conversations for added security.
PIN Verification: Verify you’ve met the right person and signal that the meetup has started.
Safety Checklist:
To further protect our users, we provide a safety checklist before the meetup, suggesting:
Meet in public places.
Schedule meetings during the day.
Inform someone about your meetup plans.
Leave immediately if anything feels off or use the emergency police feature.
Once users share the PIN, our app will recognize that the meetup has started. A blue "Safety" FAB button will be available, providing quick access to all safety features. For communication, we strongly recommend using the app's built-in messaging and call features.
Meetup:
The data indicates that many users find it difficult to assess product quality and condition online. To address this, I've added a "Meetups" feature, allowing users to meet, inspect the product before buying, and make informed decisions. Users can purchase instantly using our secure pay or choose to skip the purchase if the product doesn't meet their expectations.
Note: Meetups are only available for small, easily portable products. Future solutions for larger items are being planned. Contact the seller & Schedule the meetup: To save time, we provide an FAQ section addressing common questions about each product. For further inquiries, users can initiate a chat.
To schedule a meetup, users can tap the "Meetup" button on the contact seller or chat screen. After entering the desired date, time, and location, the seller will receive a notification. Once approved, the meetup is scheduled.
Account & Settings:
The account menu includes essential controls like settings, activities, selling etc. This provides the user full control over their profile & usage on the platform.
Push notification:
Our app uses concise push notifications to keep users informed and engaged, providing timely updates and important information.
Error states:
Clear error messages guide users through issues, offering actionable steps to resolve problems and ensure a smooth experience.
Key takeaways & learnings:
My journey in creating this product has deepened my understanding & exposed new studies about product design, UX, and human psychology. I’ve learned that UX and product design are about understanding and enhancing the bond between users and products, not just creating features or designs.